Earning a livelihood in Bangalore
O Kasturi!
Your song
Captured me,
Your smile --
Enraptured me.
Who are they
That defined your beauty
But missed your dignity?
Be strong forever
Dear sister
For you, your mother
Your boys and others.
NOTE: Kasturi is a friendly, 33-year old street vendor (like the lady in the picture) and gender violence survivor who sells leafyvegetables on a footpath in north Bangalore. Her joyous, pragmatic and hopeful demeanour during our brief chat while I bought corriander from herlast week, inspired the above words.
